Decorative laminates are commonly available for use on kitchen and bathroom surfaces. In general, these materials are formed from a supporting core and a polymeric resin. However, the rising cost of raw materials, particularly, the rising cost of resin-impregnated Kraft paper sheets, has added significantly to the expense of decorative laminate manufacture. Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for a decorative laminate core which imparts strength and resiliency to the laminate but does so with reduced materials costs.